Water-heating system for power plants



Min-ch 15, 1927. 1,620,807

R. N. EHRHART WATER HEATING SYSTEM FOR POWER PLANTS Filed May 19. 1920 Auxmm nm'zn.

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'ing'apparat'us for power systems;' and more Patented Mar. 15, 1927. i

RAYMOND n. EHRHART, or" PITTSBSRGH, i rjnnnsiznvanra -Assrenon To COMPANY, OFPITTSBURGI-I, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVAMA,

WATER-HEATING SYSTEM rt ews ums;

Application'lffiled' May 1 i9,

' The-figure is a 'di'agranimatio view ofione forinbii heating apparatus embodying my invention. 7 My; invention has relation to a water-heatpartieularly to heaters which areiadaptfe'd for use'in'e'onne ction with" power plants employmg condensers: from Which a mrxtureot a r andfsteam is *efihausted by means "of ejectors'.

' when ejeet'ors are applied to Condensers, they"exhaust the air. from the same' as} Well as stemmso that thedischarge from-the ejector is a miiit'ureof-l steam and air. "In po'wer "plants-where ejeetors are-used f0rthis*purpose, the fez zhaustlfrorn the ejeetorsis usually turned int'osom'e sort of'a feed'water heater, so that the heat "in' the steam exhaust from the Condenser is utilized in heating the feed water before the lattk'ar goes to the 'boilers'. 'In thisjway, the heat from the ejector is not a' total loss, Some objection; however; 5 has i been raised tofthe use 'of ejeto'rs forf this purpose "on aceount 'of th'e high 'air content of :the which is :turned into the'jfeed "water heat en In-the opinion 'ofsonie"v enrineersfjthe' "steam ejector Whi'Ch' takes a'ir- $1 6111 the Condenser (part of the air coming from the" oondens'ed steam and part being due to the infiltration of ,air', through the j oastings) is not a .satisfaetory' "apparatus, inasmuch as all this air is turned into the feed water heater, so that the'water fed-to thfePboilers is then heavily recharged with the air from the"'ejee'tor." Y 1 M" "invention 'is designed to provide means fonovercoming this objection; Itis a'well knownfa'e't that Water at low temperatures 1 and at atmospheric pressure may carrya large amount'of air in it. Ifthetemp'eratur'e of the Water is raised, its} air-holding capacityis considerablv diminished, and if the water isaotuallyflooiledf, the-great bulk of theiairean'be expelled; iOrdi'naril'y, in a "power plant system, such as" above referred to; the feedfivater supplied to'theifeecl Water heater is in such large quantitytha't the dsteam from thefeje'etors is only sufficient tora-iseits temperature a small'amounti It is therefore obvious thatif "the full amount;

of feed vvater' is used to condense vthe steam from the*" ejector, the temperature of the water would not be raised-'sufliient to expel much" of the' 'eontained air.

If; however, means are provrdedfto' automatically keep 19201- srinnro. 382,655.

the Waterkleliv'ered to the heater sueh a volume that the" temperature' in theheater Will'be"approximately-at the'looilingtempera tureg thenthe great bulk of the containedair can beexpelledirorn 'thewater. 7

My invention provides means vvhereby this may be accomplished so' that' the temperature ofthe water may be always kept either at the 'boili-n'gtemperature or f fairly the, ejector, the :water' is-fheatedto 'a higher My invention Will be refjreri'ee1 to the? "accompanying-7' drawing 1 which will nov'v' be described; it being premifs'ed, however, that the: invention may take various" forms-vvithin-the'scopeof the' ap- I 'p'e'nded'claims."

[In thisdravvin g, the numeral'Q designates af'eonclenser which is 'indieated as bein'gi'fof the su rfa'ee type. 3 designates a'inain feed water {heater for heatin'g the waterirom the condenser on its wayto the boil'enfl Lis 'the auxiliary heater which is employe'dfior the purpose of absorb ing; the heatand the [steam coming from the e-jector and as a mean's'ifor temperature what "further expels-i-anyb air that my: have been absorbed from-the fluid delivered'bythe ejeeton: Y Y

best nnderstood sby liberatin gair from the ,W aterbefore' it goes tothemainheater 3'. 5 is'a pump forde-' liver'ing Water from the" condenser" to the auxiliary heater 4." 6 'is 'a'valve'which is "located in'fabypas's 7 connecting the pipe 8 which leadsfrorn' the pump 5 to the'heater 4: Withth'e pipe 9 5 leading from the heater "4 to the main-beaten 3.; Thisvalve'fi is' designed to be controlledbythe temperature to WhlCh th e water in' the heater 4 isiheatecl. I

This may bedone'in' variou'sjWays'as-"by conneeting-the stem of the valve With a ther: mostatic' elem'entlt) in the heater 4. If'the temperature inthe heater 4 is '1ovv,-the"by pass valve 6 Will be opened. to a greater extent; thus diminishing thesupplyof Water which passes to the heater 4', the result being a greater'heating of such Water. Conversely,

it' the'temperaturein theheater 4 rises,':the v valve 6' correspondi'ngly closes, thereby foreing more -Waterthrbugh the" heater 4, so that auxiliary heater. 2' "'2'. In feed-water-heating apparatusof the character described, the combination with .a condenser and a steam ejector for'exhaustple form bywhich the objections heretofore urged tothe use of steam ejectors in plants is effectively overcome,

I: claim: 1. In feed-Water-heating apparatus of the power character described, the combination with acondenser and a steam ejector arranged to exhaust the air and steam from the con denser, of a main feed water heater, an

auxiliary feed water heater receiving heat -from=said ejector and vented to the at- "mosphere, a pump for delivering water from the condenser to said heaters, a bypass in the connection from the pump to the heaters,

and means for automatically controlling the flow of Waterthrough said pipes and thereby the amount of wate flowing from the ingiair andsteam therefrom, of a main feed Water heater, an auxiliary feed water heater, said auxiliary heater being constructed to permit the release of air therej from, means for, delivering water from the condenser to the auxiliary heater, and means for automatically diverting a portion of 'such water and thereby controlling the amountlof Water supplied to the auxiliary heater.

3. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a water heater :--constructed to prevent air accumulation .therein and which receives air and-steam from a condenser, of means for supplying water from the condenser to said heater, and Imeans for automatically decreasing the creases whereby the air content in said condensate is kept at a minimum.

4. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with an open water heater which receives air'and steam from a condenser, of means for supplying water.

from the condenser tosaid heater, means for automatically decreasing the water supplied tosaid heater .as the temperature of water leaving the heater decreases,and'means for increasing the Water supplied to the heater as the temperature ofthe water leaving the heater increases whereby the air content of the condensate leaving the heater is maintained Within certain limits;

5. The combination of a feedwater heater, an auxiliary heater constructed to permit deaeration of the water therein and release of the air therefrom, and connections for supplying water through said heaters in series, of means, for automatically limiting the Water flow through the auxiliary heater in accordance with the temperature conditions therein while maintaining the total volume of water to the otherheater substantially constant, whereby all of the Water in said auxiliary heater'will be broughtto such a temperature as to facilitate air sepa ration therefrom.

'6. In a vented water-heating system, an

ejector, a water heater receiving steam and air 1n; combination from said e ector, a

thermostatically controlled valve controlling the supply of water to the heater wherebyv heater cooperatingwith the feed Water heater and adapted to receive a varying amount I of said condensate during ;its travel to the feed water heater,'and connections for supplying a mixtureof air and steam to said auxiliary heater and also forvariablycon- V trolling the condensate suppled thereto to condense-the supply of steam for maintain- I ing the temperature of the water leaving the heater withina definite range such that air will be liberated. r I 8. In combination, a feed water heater, an auxiliary heater vented to the atmosphere, and connections for. supplying water through said heaters in'series or directly to said heaters simultaneously, said connections compelling the delivery of all the water heated. in one of said heaters into and through the other heater. r

9. In combination, a feedwater heaterQan auxiliary heater vented to the atmosphere. connections for always supplying Water through said heaters in series when 'both heaters are operating, and means for automatically varying the water flow through the first'heater of the series in accordance with the temperature therein.

10-. In a liquidtreating apparatus, a condenser, a main heater receiving condensate therefrom, an auxiliary vented feed water heater adapted to preheat a varying amount of said condensate in accordance with the temperature in the auxiliary heater and to deliver the same to the main heater at a substantially constant temperature, and means to automatically maintain in the auxiliary heater a temperature sufficiently high to effectively expel air from the liquid being treated therein.

- 11. In a liquid treating apparatus; a condenser, a main heater adapted to receive condensate from said condenser, an auxiliary heater vented to the atmosphere and adapted to preheat a portion of said condensate and deliver the same to the main heater, an ejector Withdrawing air and steam from said condenser and delivering the same to the auxiliary heater, and means controlled by the temperature in the auxiliary heater to automatically maintain therein conditions of low air solubility.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand,

RAYMOND N. EHRHART. 

